Timing mechanism for electric appliances



July 27, 1937. W

I TIMING MECHANISM ,FOR ELECTRIC APPLIANCES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 3, 1936 gvwc/wi'o'o ALONZO A, MBA/ER" July 27, 1937. A. A. WARNER TIMING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC APPLIANCES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5. 1936 3 wue/wfm AL ozvzo A. WARNER Patented July 27, 1937 TIMING MECHANISM roa ELECTRIC APPLIANCES Alonzo A. Warner, New Britain, Conn., assignor to Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 3, 1936, Serial No. 103,971

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a timing mechanism and, more particularly, to a timing mechanism arranged to adjustably control electrical appliances such as bread toasters.

5 It is an aim of the present invention to provide a simply and easily constructed timing device which is effective and positive in operation, easy of adjustment, and which may be adjustably pre-set to stop an operation, such as bread l toasting, after a predetermined period.

A more specific aim of my invention is to provide an adjustable stop member associated with a timing mechanism in a toaster.

It is a further object of this invention to pro- 15 vide a simply constructed and easily operated regulating mechanism in conjunction with a setting lever for a timing device whereby the setting movement of said lever will be limited through a predetermined extent to control the 20 operation of the timing mechanism.

Other objects will be In part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements .5 and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I 30' have shown for illustrative purposes one of the many embodiments which the present invention may take:

Figure 1 is a bottom view of my timing mechanism associated with an electric bread toaster;

2:5 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view through the timing 'mechanism taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

40 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the timing mechanismshowing the respective positions of the parts when the setting lever is shifted to a setting position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view along 45 line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view along line 8--6 of Fig. and

Figs. '7 and 8 show a modified application of my timing mechanism to a mechanically con- 50 trolled electric toaster.

In accordance with my invention, I have provided a stop device associated with the timing mechanism A and having an adjustable stop leverl0 and a locking device l0 associated 55 therewith. A setting lever -ll arranged to energize the timing device is limited by the lockingdevice to a predetermined but adjustable extent of pre-setting movement, resulting in a release of a tripping device. generally indicated at l2, after a predetermined period to con- 5 trol the operation of an electrical appliance, such as a bread toaster.

Referring to the drawings illustrating my invention as applied to an electric bread toaster, the timing mechanism A is secured to a plate 10 I6 within the bottom of a bread toaster frame II. This timing mechanism, which is herein shown somewhat diagrammatically, has a pair of spaced plates l8 and I9 between which is journalled a winding shaft 20 having the setting lever ll fastened to its lower end. A spring 2| mounted on shaft is arranged through a suitable gear train 22 to operate a standard type of escapement mechanism 23.

A pin 25 mounted on bottom plate l9 pivotally 20 supports a-bell crank 26 having .a clapper 21 at one end and a tripping link 30 pivotally mounted on the other end as by a pin 3|. The tripping link is provided with two bent-over depending spaced lugs 32 and 33 located in straddling rela- 25 tion to the sides of the bell crank so thatthe link may assume a slight pivotal movement. A spring 34 connected between a rearward portion of link 30 and a stud 35 in plate I! tends to move lug 33 into engagement with the bell crank 30 and swing the bell crank about pin 25 to shift the clapper into striking engagement with a bell 28. The setting lever, which extends through a suitable slot in the toaster casing, has a suitable operating handle H on its outer end. 3 When this lever is angularly swung from the position of Fig. 1 to the pre-setting position of Fig. 4, the spring 2| is energized so that it immediately thereafter acts through the gear train to operate the escapement mechanism and swing lever II in a reverse direction at a. uniform rate to a releasing position (Fig. 1) wherein lever 28 under influence of spring 34 simultaneously causes the clapper to ring the bell and opens a switch in the toaster circuit. Stop le- 5 ver l0 and the locking device Ill serve to adjustably limit the position to which setting lever H is pre-set relative to its releasing position, as will be later described.

The inner end of lever H has an enlarged arcuate flange 36 surrounding shaft 20 and provided with a, cutaway portion having a shoulder 36 engageable with lug 33 of link 30. When lever I II is swung in a setting direction (clockwise in Fig. l), shoulder 36 first engages lug 33 pivotally swinging link. 33 and moving lug 32 into operative engagement with the bell crank to swing the bell crank and draw the clapper away from the bell.

Further movement of the lever ll towards its" setting position causes shoulder 36' to spring by lug 33 to the position indicated in Fig. 4, wherein lug 33 will ride against the periphery of flange 38. During the following unwinding operation of spring ii, the setting lever uniformly swings in an opposite or-releasing direction (counterclockwise in Figs. 1 and 4) 'until the shoulder 35' passes by lug 33 permitting spring 34 to quickly swing the bell crank so that the clapper engages the bell and warns the operator that a predetermined time has elapsed.

Coincident with the clapper movement towards the bell, a switch disconnects the current to the electric toaster element. To accomplish this, a pair of spring contacts 38 and 39, which normally tend to swing apart, are respectively supported at their outer ends upon terminal members 40 and 4| connected in the toaster circuit. Terminal members ill and ll are secured on a suitably mounted insulating strip 42 having an aperture 43 through which extends an operating pin 44 movable into and out of engagement with spring member 38. Pin 44 is rigidly secured to bell crank lever 26 as by an insulating strip 45. Hence, it will be appreciated that, when the bell crank is initially thrown to its pre-set position, pin 44 moves the contacts together closing the circuit to the toaster, and when the bell crank snaps to' its opposite position, the circuit is opened at the same time that the warning bell is rung.

I have further provided a stop mechanism so that lever l I in its setting movement is restricted to various predetermined but adjustable pre-setting positions with respect to the releasing position of the lever. To accomplish this, I provide a quadrant member in the form of an arcuate 'plate 46 secured to plate 19 and having the stop lever Ill frictionally journalled thereon coaxially of winding shaft 20 as by a pin 23'. As illustrated in Fig. 1, lever III is provided with an elongated slot 4'! partially overlying quadrant l6 and a rectangular-shaped metal plate 48 is loosely received in slot 41 and provided with a slotted portion 49 loosely straddling quadrant so that the plate 48 is free to angularly rock through a slight extent, as shown in Fig. 6. A pin 50 mounted on lever ll laterally extends therefrom in a position to engage plate 48 when lever II is moved in a setting direction. In view of the fact that plate 48 is normally loosely maintained in position, the stop lever Ill may be easily swung to any desired position on the quadrant. However, when lever H is shifted in a setting movement towards lever l0, pin 50 engages plate 48 causing the plate to angularly cramp against quadrant 46, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and locking lever l8 against further movement, thus serving as a sufllcient stop to locate the setting position of lever H relative to its releasing position. Hence, the 'pre-locating of lever ill serves to predetermine the length of toasting time.

As illustrated in Figs. '1 and 8, I have shown my invention employed in conjunction with a me chanically actuated electric toaster of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,931,451 issued October 17, 1933. In this modification, a setting lever 50, provided with a handle 63', and a stop lever SI are coaxially mounted upon a horizontally disposed pin 62 extending through a quadrant member 63. Lever I is pivotally connected intermediate of'its ends to a rack member 4 operating a clock mechanism similar to that disclosed in my prior noted patent. Stop lever ll is provided with a slot 65 loosely receiving a plate 6'6 overlying quadrant 53 in the same manner as disclosed with relation to plate 43 in my previously described construction, and a pin i1 projecting from the setting lever operatively engages plate 66 to locate the setting position of lever I. Levers ill and BI extend through adjacent slots 68 and 69 in a toaster casing ll.

As many changes could bemade in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereoi, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting-sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a timing mechanism, driving n ieans, a setting member operated thereby for time controlled movement, an adjustable stop member, a plate having an edge adjacent to the stop member, a locking member associated with the stop member and movable therewith, said locking member having a portion adjacent to and overlying the edge of said plate, and means on the setting member arranged to rock said locking member into cramped locking engagement with said plate whereby the position to which the setting member may be moved during setting thereof is limited by the adjusted position of the stop member.

2. In a timing mechanism, driving means, a setting member operated thereby for time controlled movement, an adjustable stop member, a plate having an edge adjacent to the stop member, a locking member associated with the stop member and having a portion straddling the edge of said plate, and means on the setting member engageable with locking member and causing it to angularly move into cramped engagement with the plate whereby the stop mem ber is locked in its adjusted position and the setting position of the setting member is predetermined.

3. In a timing mechanism, driving means, a setting member operated thereby for time controlled movement, an adjustable stop member, a plate having an edge adjacent to the stop member, a locking member loosely received within and extending through a portion of the stop member, said locking member being provided with a slot slidablyreceiving the edge 0! the plate, and means on the setting member engageable with the locking member for causing said locking member to rock and cramp against the plate thereby limiting the position to which the setting member is preset.

--4.In atimingmechanism, driving meanaa setting lever operated thereby for time controlled movement, an adjustable stop lever,'a quadrant plate having a curved peripheral edge adjacent to the stop lever, a member movably associated with the stop lever and having a portion straddling said-peripheral edge, and means on the setting lever engageable with said member causing the member to cramp against the quadrant to secure the stop lever in its adjusted Ill) position and limiting the position to which the setting lever is set.

5. In a timing mechanism, driving means, a setting lever operated thereby for time controlled movement, an adjustable stop lever coaxial with the setting lever, a quadrant plate having a curved peripheral edge adjacent to the stop lever, a locking member movably associated with the stop lever and having a slotted portion loosely and slidably receiving said edge, and means on the setting lever engageable with the locking member to'angularly move said member relative to the plate of the plate and cramp it against the plate to lock the stop lever in adjusted posi tion and limit the position to which the setting lever is set.

6. In a timing mechanism, driving means, a setting lever operated thereby for time controlled movement, an adjustable stop lever, a pivoted support for the stop lever, a quadrant plate having an arcuate edge adjacent to and coaxial of said support, said stop lever having a longitudinal slot partially overlying the edge of said plate, a locking member loosely received in said slot and having a slotted portion slidably straddling said plate edge, and means on the setting lever engageable with the locking member to cramp said member against the plate and limit the position to which the setting lever is set.

7. In a timing mechanism, driving means, a setting lever operated thereby for time controlled movement, an adjustable stop lever, a journal pin for axially supporting and frictionally restraining the stop lever movement, a quadrant plate having an arcuate edge adjacent to the stop lever and coaxial of the pin, said stop lever having a longitudinal slot one end of which overlies said arcuate edge, a locking plate loosely received in said slot and having a slot receiving said arcuate plate edge, and means on the setting lever engageable with the locking plate to angularly move it into cramped engagement with the quadrant plate and limit the position to which the setting lever is set.

8. In a timing mechanism, driving means, a

setting lever operated thereby for time controlled movement, a pivotal support therefor, an adjustable stop lever, a pin coaxial of said support and arranged to pivotally support and frictionally restrain the stop lever movement, a quadrant plate having an arcuate edge coaxial of said levers and adjacent to the stop lever, a member movably associated with the stop lever and having a portion straddling said arcuate edge, and means on the setting lever engageable with said member causing said member to cramp against the quadrant to secure the stop lever in position and limit the setting position of the setting lever.

9. In a timing mechanism, driving means, a

setting lever arranged to engage the same, a trip ping device, said lever being moved by said driving means to a predetermined release position to operate the tripping device, an adjustable stop lever having a slot therethrough, a quadrant plate having a curved peripheral edge adjacent to said slot intermediate of its ends, a locking member extending loosely through said slot and having a slotted portion loosely and slidably receivingsaid peripheral edge, and means on the setting lever engageable with said locking member to cramp said member into locked engagement with the plate and limit the position to which the setting lever may be preset relative 3 to its release position, whereby the tripping device will be operated after a predetermined period.

ALONZO A. WARNER. 

